Kansas State Fires Head Coach Jerome Tang After Disastrous Big 12 Start

Kansas State University has fired men's basketball head coach Jerome Tang, effective immediately, following the team's disastrous 1-11 start in Big 12 Conference play and a recent public outburst, according to multiple sources within the athletic department. The decision brings an end to Tang's tenure in Manhattan after less than four full seasons at the helm.

The final straw appeared to be Tang's heated postgame comments following Saturday's loss to Texas Tech, where he criticized both players and officials in what sources described as an unprofessional manner. The incident, combined with the team's poor performance throughout the 2025-26 season, prompted athletic director Gene Taylor to make the coaching change with just weeks remaining in the regular season.

Tang's dismissal marks a dramatic fall from grace for the 54-year-old coach who initially brought excitement to the Kansas State program. In his first season (2022-23), Tang guided the Wildcats to a surprising Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, earning Big 12 Coach of the Year honors and generating significant optimism for the program's future direction.

However, the program has steadily declined since that breakthrough season. After a disappointing 2023-24 campaign that saw the Wildcats miss the NCAA Tournament entirely, this year's team has struggled mightily in conference play. The Wildcats currently sit at the bottom of the Big 12 standings with their lone conference victory coming against Cincinnati in early January.

Assistant coach Rodney Perry will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season while the university conducts a search for Tang's permanent replacement. Perry, a former Kansas State player, has been with the program for six seasons and is well-regarded within the basketball community for his recruiting abilities and player development skills.

The timing of Tang's dismissal is unusual, coming so late in the season, but sources indicate that Taylor felt immediate action was necessary to prevent further damage to the program's reputation. Kansas State will now turn its attention to finding a coach who can restore stability and competitiveness to a program that has shown it can compete at the highest levels of college basketball when properly managed.